£7,000 dog playground receives mixed reaction

Bishops Stortford - While some people are thrilled to be able to use a £7,000 play park in Hertfordshire, recently built for dogs and their humans, others are complaining about the expense.

South Hertfordshire District constructed the facility in Southern Country Park to keep pets and their owners healthy. It contains obstacles such as tunnels, ramps, hoops and hurdles. Emma Boon, Campaign Manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, told The Daily Mail: “The local council must have gone barking mad to spend thousands of pounds of taxpayers' cash on this canine attraction. “Of course dog owners should exercise their pets as part of looking after them, but a run around the park should be sufficient. “It is not the job of the council to provide facilities for owners to play with their dogs, and certainly isn't a priority at a time when money is tight and the council should be making spending cuts.” The PDSA recently warned that, if trends continue, half of dogs in the UK will be obese in five years. Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, called the development of the park a positive step in encouraging owners to keep their dogs healthy. She said, “Agility is the world's fastest growing dog sport and is something that can be enjoyed by practically any breed of dog and any owner, whether they are seven or 70 and so is a perfect solution to the problem.”